What Vaccinations Does Madagascar Require for French Travellers in 2026?

Quick answer: Madagascar does not have yellow fever transmission, and yellow fever vaccination is not recommended solely for travel to the country. However, Madagascar requires proof of vaccination for travellers aged 9 months or older arriving from a country with yellow fever transmission risk, including a qualifying airport transit of more than 12 hours through such a country.

For French citizens travelling from France, the key issue is your complete itinerary rather than your passport alone. Check routine vaccinations before departure, ask a clinician about hepatitis A, typhoid and rabies according to your activities, and arrange a malaria assessment if you will travel outside Antananarivo or spend time in rural areas.

Verification note: Last checked July 2026 — always confirm with official sources before travelling.

Vaccinations required versus recommended for French travellers

Vaccine or health measure	Required for entry?	What French travellers should know
Yellow fever	Only for certain itineraries	Required for travellers aged 9 months or older arriving from a country with yellow fever transmission risk, including a qualifying transit lasting more than 12 hours.
Routine vaccines	No special Madagascar entry rule identified in the research	Be up to date with routine immunisations before every trip, including vaccines relevant to your age and health history.
Hepatitis A	No	Recommended by travel-health guidance for many travellers; discuss food, water and itinerary risks with a clinician.
Typhoid	No	Recommended for most travellers, particularly those staying with friends or relatives or visiting smaller cities and rural areas.
Rabies	No	Consider it for long stays, remote travel, children, animal-related work or activities that could involve bats or other mammals.
Malaria prevention	No vaccine entry requirement	Malaria prevention may involve mosquito precautions and prescription antimalarial medicine, depending on your route and personal circumstances.

Vaccines recommended for one traveller may not be appropriate for another. Pregnancy, immune-system conditions, age, medication, previous vaccination and the style and length of travel can change the advice. A French travel clinic, médecin traitant or pharmacist with travel-health expertise can review your vaccination record and itinerary.

Yellow fever certificate rules for Madagascar

When is a yellow fever certificate required?

Madagascar requires a yellow fever vaccination certificate from travellers aged 9 months or older who arrive from a country with risk of yellow fever transmission. The requirement also applies when a traveller has transited for more than 12 hours through an airport in a country with that risk.

Madagascar itself has no yellow fever risk according to the available destination guidance, so the certificate is an entry-control requirement rather than a vaccination recommendation for protection against yellow fever in Madagascar.

A direct flight from France does not normally create the yellow fever certificate trigger described above, but confirm the current rule and your route before departure. Airlines and border officials assess the itinerary, including connections. If your route connects through a yellow-fever-risk country, check the scheduled transit time and whether the connection could require you to pass through immigration or leave the transit area.

What document should you carry?

Carry the International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis, commonly called the yellow card, if your itinerary requires yellow fever proof. The certificate can record vaccination or a medical waiver. Under the International Health Regulations, a completed certificate is valid for the life of the vaccinated person; the CDC notes that yellow fever booster validity requirements were eliminated in 2016.

Do not rely on a photograph stored only on your phone. Keep the original certificate with your passport and travel documents, and ask the authorised vaccination centre or your healthcare provider how a medical waiver should be documented. The vaccination decision must take account of both entry rules and the individual risk of vaccine-associated adverse events.

Recommended vaccinations and when to arrange them

Routine vaccinations

Start by checking that your routine vaccinations are current. The CDC advises travellers to be up to date with routine vaccines before every trip and specifically highlights COVID-19 vaccination for eligible travellers. Measles protection is particularly important because international travel can expose people to outbreaks even when a destination has no special entry vaccination rule.

Ask a French healthcare professional to review the routine schedule relevant to you, including protection against diseases such as tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, polio, measles, mumps and rubella, influenza and COVID-19 where applicable. The exact vaccines and boosters depend on your medical record, age and current French recommendations, so this article does not replace an individual consultation.

Hepatitis A

Hepatitis A vaccination is commonly considered for travel to Madagascar because infection can spread through contaminated food or water. Travel-health guidance lists hepatitis A among the vaccines to discuss for Madagascar, particularly when accommodation, meals and activities involve less controlled food and water conditions.

Typhoid

The CDC recommends typhoid vaccination for most travellers to Madagascar, with particular emphasis on people staying with friends or relatives or visiting smaller cities and rural areas. It is one part of prevention: careful hand hygiene and safe food and drinking-water choices remain important.

Rabies

Rabies vaccination is not a general entry requirement. It may be worth discussing if you are travelling for a long period, moving around remote areas, working with animals or bats, undertaking adventure activities, or travelling with children. The CDC notes that children can be more vulnerable because they may play with animals or fail to report a bite.

Pre-exposure vaccination does not remove the need for urgent medical care after a bite, scratch or possible exposure. Avoid handling dogs, cats, bats and other mammals, and seek medical advice immediately after any possible exposure.

Chikungunya and other mosquito-borne infections

The CDC advises all travellers to prevent mosquito bites and states that chikungunya vaccination is generally not recommended, although unvaccinated travellers aged 1 year or older going to Madagascar may wish to discuss it in appropriate circumstances. The decision depends on current advice, health factors and the trip itself.

For seasonal planning, including weather and mosquito exposure considerations, see SafariFind's Madagascar safari best-time month-by-month planner. Travellers planning a July coastal itinerary can also review Madagascar safari tours for the July whale-watching peak season.

Malaria in Madagascar: risk areas, medication and prevention

Malaria is a significant travel-health consideration in Madagascar. The research used for this guide describes malaria risk throughout the country, while another destination summary specifies all regions except Antananarivo; because guidance differs in geographic detail, your clinician should assess every stop rather than treating the capital as representative of the whole island.

Ask for advice based on your exact route, including national parks, coastal areas, rural accommodation, boat trips, camping and the length of time outdoors after dusk. Travel-health guidance states that mosquito-bite prevention and chemoprophylaxis are recommended for Madagascar, but the appropriate prescription depends on itinerary, duration, medical history and other medicines.

Reduce bites by using an appropriate insect repellent, wearing clothing that limits exposed skin, using screened or air-conditioned accommodation where available, and considering a mosquito net. Treat clothing and equipment with a suitable insecticide product when advised by a healthcare professional. No bite-prevention method is perfect, so take fever or flu-like symptoms seriously during and after travel and tell the clinician that you visited Madagascar.

Do not buy or start antimalarial medicine solely from a generic online list. A clinician should choose and prescribe it for you. If you already take regular medication, provide a complete list, including supplements, because interactions and contraindications can affect the choice.

Health documents and travel insurance

Carry your passport, vaccination record and, where relevant, the original International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis. Keep copies separately from the originals and store an electronic copy securely. A certificate is especially important if your itinerary includes a yellow-fever-risk country or a long airport transit there.

Arrange travel insurance that covers overseas medical treatment, emergency assistance, evacuation and repatriation for the activities you plan to undertake. Check exclusions for trekking, diving, remote-area travel, motorcycles and pre-existing conditions. The supplied research does not establish a mandatory Madagascar health-insurance amount, so confirm policy requirements with your insurer and any current official entry guidance rather than relying on a fixed figure.

Health requirements can change after you book flights. Recheck official Madagascar sources, airline information and French travel-health advice close to departure, especially if you add a connection through another African or South American country.

For non-health entry planning, SafariFind's Madagascar visa guide for French citizens covers the separate visa question. Vaccination rules and visa rules are different: having the right visa does not replace a required health certificate.

Medication rules and what to pack

Keep prescription medicines in their original labelled packaging and carry enough for the trip, plus a reasonable reserve if your healthcare provider recommends it. Pack a copy of the prescription or a doctor's letter that states the generic name, dose and medical reason. For controlled medicines, injectable medicines and larger quantities, confirm Madagascar's current import rules with the embassy or relevant official authority before travelling; the research supplied here does not establish a universal allowance or fee.

• Personal prescription medicines and copies of prescriptions.
• Insect repellent and clothing suitable for covering arms and legs.
• Sun protection, hand sanitiser and basic wound-care supplies.
• Oral rehydration supplies and any clinician-approved treatment for diarrhoea.
• A thermometer and a basic first-aid kit.
• Your vaccination record, yellow fever certificate if applicable, insurance details and emergency contacts.

Travel-health sources warn that comprehensive medical facilities are concentrated in major population centres and selected private clinics, and that sterile medical supplies may not always be available. Travellers heading to remote parks or islands should ask their assistance provider what evacuation arrangements apply and carry supplies appropriate to the remoteness of the itinerary.

Health facilities and emergencies in Madagascar

Before departure, save your insurer's 24-hour assistance number and identify the nearest appropriate clinic or hospital for each part of your route. Safari vehicles, domestic flights and transfers can make rural access slower than in France, so ask your operator or lodge about the practical evacuation plan before travelling.

Seek urgent medical help after a suspected rabies exposure, severe allergic reaction, breathing difficulty, persistent vomiting, dehydration, confusion, severe fever or any rapidly worsening illness. Tell the medical team about your destinations, dates, mosquito exposure, animal contact and medicines taken. Fever during or after a malaria-risk trip needs prompt assessment.

When comparing safari packages on SafariFind, use the itinerary details to inform your medical consultation: region, nights in remote camps, internal flights, walking activities and coastal extensions can all change the health discussion. You can also compare accommodation styles in the Madagascar safari lodges budget-versus-luxury guide.

Final checklist: review routine vaccines; ask about hepatitis A, typhoid and rabies; obtain a yellow fever certificate if your route triggers the rule; arrange malaria advice; pack medicines and records; buy suitable insurance; and verify the current requirements immediately before travel.

Last checked July 2026 — always confirm with official sources before travelling.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do French citizens need a yellow fever vaccine for Madagascar?

Not usually when travelling directly from France, because yellow fever vaccination is not recommended for Madagascar itself. Madagascar requires proof for travellers aged 9 months or older arriving from a yellow-fever-risk country or after a qualifying transit of more than 12 hours through one.

Does a layover trigger Madagascar's yellow fever certificate rule?

Yes, a transit of more than 12 hours through an airport in a country with yellow fever transmission risk can trigger the certificate requirement. Check the complete itinerary, including connections and airport procedures, before departure.

How long is the Madagascar yellow fever certificate valid?

A completed International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis for yellow fever is valid for the life of the vaccinated person under the International Health Regulations. The CDC says booster requirements were eliminated in 2016.

What vaccinations are recommended for a trip to Madagascar?

Review routine vaccines and discuss hepatitis A, typhoid and, depending on your activities, rabies. The CDC specifically recommends typhoid for most travellers and advises mosquito-bite prevention; recommendations vary with health, itinerary and travel style.

Is hepatitis A vaccination recommended for Madagascar?

Hepatitis A is commonly recommended for travellers to Madagascar, particularly because exposure can be linked to contaminated food or water. Ask a travel-health professional whether it is suitable for your medical history and itinerary.

Do I need a typhoid vaccine for Madagascar?

Typhoid vaccination is recommended for most travellers by the CDC, especially those visiting rural areas, smaller cities or friends and relatives. It does not replace careful food, water and hand-hygiene precautions.

Is malaria present in Madagascar?

Yes, malaria is a travel-health consideration in Madagascar. Available guidance describes risk throughout the country, with one source specifying an exception for Antananarivo, so ask a clinician to assess every destination and arrange prevention accordingly.

Do I need malaria tablets for a Madagascar safari?

You may need prescription antimalarial medicine, depending on your route, accommodation, duration, activities and health history. Travel-health guidance recommends chemoprophylaxis and mosquito-bite prevention, but a clinician must select the appropriate option.

Should I get a rabies vaccine before visiting Madagascar?

Rabies vaccination is worth discussing for long stays, remote travel, children, animal-related work and activities involving bats or other mammals. It is not a general Madagascar entry requirement, and any bite or scratch still requires urgent medical advice.

What health documents should French travellers carry to Madagascar?

Carry your vaccination record and the original International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis if your route requires yellow fever proof. Also keep insurance assistance details and copies of prescriptions; confirm any medicine-import requirements with official authorities.